3 Blake Snell backup plans for Yankees with Juan Soto in mind

The first major free agency domino fell on Tuesday night. Blake Snell signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers on a five-year, $182 million contract with deferred money. The two-time Cy Young winner now joins a pitching staff that could include Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Shohei Ohtani, Tyler Glasnow, and Clayton Kershaw.

It's bad news for the rest of the league. The reigning World Series champs just added arguably the best starting pitcher in all of baseball. Snell got off to a slow start last season after signing late in the spring, but he absolutely cooked from July forward. Over his last 14 starts, the former San Francisco Giants ace posted a 1.23 ERA with 114 strikeouts in 80.1 innings of work.

The talented southpaw has a history of nagging injuries and slow starts, but he's up there with the very best when he's operating at full strength. The Dodgers will now combine arguably the best pitching staff in the National League with far and away the most explosive offense. Every other team is fighting an uphill battle to catch the Dodgers at this point.

Among Snell's reported suitors before his Dodgers deal was the New York Yankees.

New York checked in on Snell last offseason, but the 31-year-old once again eludes them. With re-signing Juan Soto to a potentially historic contract as their No. 1 objective this winter, here are a few Snell backup plans that wouldn't break the bank.

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3. Roki Sasaki brings ace value on a bargain contract

The most sought-after free agent this winter might be 23-year-old Japanese fireballer Roki Sasaki. Whereas Juan Soto has four teams seriously interested, Sasaki could draw offers from the majority of teams around the league. He is going to sign as an international prospect, which means long-term team control and no exorbitant contract — yet.

Saski is viewed by some as the best pitching prospect in the world, surpassing even Paul Skenes for upside. Obviously the Yankees should get in on that, especially without a significant financial burden to hold them back. It will require a compelling free agency pitch from the Yankees front office rooted in the quality of the organization and the player development pipeline, not just dollars. That shouldn't be too hard, though. We're talking about the Yankees. Those pinstripes are iconic.

There are durability concerns with Sasaki, who might not shoulder a full workload out of the gate, but the Yankees should get plenty of quality innings from him as a rookie. Factor in the potential longevity — the chance for Sasaki to succeed Gerrit Cole as the face of New York's pitching staff — and this is a highly intriguing possibility. He should arguably be the Yankees' No. 1 priority aside from Soto.

2. Justin Verlander could find his legs again in a Yankees uniform

Justin Verlander finished last season with an abysmal 5.68 ERA in 17 starts. It was by far his worst season in a historic two-decade career, and it may have spelled the end of his accomplished tenure with the Houston Astros.

At 41 years old, there's a good chance Verlander is available on a bargain contract. The Yankees should be able to sign him to a one-year prove-it deal without breaking the bank. That is a real upside swing, though, as Verlander's career-long excellence foreshadows an inevitable return to form in 2025, assuming he can get healthy for the regular season.

A troublesome neck injury hung over Verlander's 2024 campaign. He spent two months on the pine, then returned too quickly and reaggravated it. Sure, it's easy to pin Verlander's decline on age, but it's clear that last season's stinker was related primarily to the injury woes. Verlander is absolutely more prone to injury at 41 than he was even five years ago, but there's reason to believe he can channel at least some of his former greatness with a full offseason to reset and get right.

In terms of low-stakes, high-potential signings, Verlander stands out as a potential heist for the Yankees as they navigate the turbulent Juan Soto free agency waters.

1. Garrett Crochet can solve Yankees rotation issues via trade

Garrett Crochet is still on his rookie contract through 2026, although he's going to want a new deal upon his arrival in New York. And that's fine. While Crochet is due to receive a pretty penny, he's not going to receive the same historic AAV as Snell. He's also going to provide a longer window of value for New York at 25 years old. There's a chance for Crochet to grow with the Yankees for the next decade.

A first-time All-Star for the wayward Chicago White Sox last season, Crochet silenced doubts about his durability in a starting role with 146 solid innings of work across 32 starts. He finished with a 3.58 ERA and 1.07 WHIP, netting 209 strikeouts with a blistering fastball and hard-tailing cutter. The southpaw posted a whiff rate in the MLB's 93rd percentile.

The injury concerns from Crochet's early years won't disappear, but he dispelled all concern about his competence in a starting role. His production wavered slightly around the All-Star break, but Crochet finished strong and was, frankly, the only true bright spot in an otherwise dour campaign for the White Sox. Now that he's on the market, several contenders will come knocking, but New York has the motivation and the prospect capital to get a deal across the finish line.